Mayock: Bears should 'sprint to podium' if DT Jernigan available

Add NFL Network’s Mike Mayock to the list of draft analysts who consider Florida St. defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan to be a top candidate for the Chicago Bears to select with the 14th pick in May’s draft.

“I think Jernigan is a guy that if he was sitting there when the Bears were on the board at 14, I think you’d sprint to the podium,” Mayock said Tuesday during a teleconference.

Bears general manager Phil Emery has said the Bears’ defensive needs will drive their draft. Mayock considers about six defensive tackles to be good value in the first three rounds. At the top of his first set of 2014 defensive tackle rankings are Notre Dame’s Louis Nix III and Jernigan.

“Nix and Jernigan, couldn’t be (more) different,” Mayock said. “Nix is a prototypical nose tackle. Jernigan is probably more of that three-technique. I think Jernigan can step in and be special early. I think Nix is a little different kind of player. He’s a 330-pound nose.”

Mayock, who also is an analyst for NBC's telecasts of Notre Dame games, explained that Nix must sell teams on his ability to push the pocket from the interior.

“If you believe in that, then he’s probably a top-20 pick because he’s a rare 330-pound nose tackle with some movement skills. If you don’t believe that you can get some pass rush out of him, he probably isn’t a top-20 pick for your team.”